Commission Recommendations
MedPAC makes recommendations to the Congress and to the Secretary of Health and Human Services on issues affecting the administration of the Medicare program. With its recommendations, the Commission strives to improve the delivery of care, while ensuring financial stability and maximizing value for the program. After extensive analysis and evaluation, our recommendations are discussed and voted on by Commissioners in our public meetings. Recommendations are typically published in two main reports, released in March and June of each year.
| Recommendations | Topic(s) | Publication |
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Outpatient dialysis servicesThe Congress should maintain current law and update the composite rate in calendar year 2010 by 1 percent. |
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Physician services and ambulatory surgical centers (4)The Congress should increase payments for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services in calendar year 2010 by 0.6 percent. In addition, the Congress should require ASCs to submit to the Secretary cost data and quality data that will allow for an effective evaluation of the adequacy of ASC payment rates. |
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Outpatient dialysis servicesThe Congress should update the composite rate in calendar year 2009 by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket index less the Commission’s adjustment for productivity growth. The Commission reiterates its recommendation that the Congress implement a quality incentive program for physicians and facilities that treat dialysis patients. |
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Outpatient dialysis servicesThe Congress should update the composite rate in calendar year 2008 by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket index less the Commission’s expectation for productivity growth. |
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Outpatient dialysis services (1)The Congress should update the composite rate in calendar year 2007 by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket index less half the Commission’s expectation for productivity growth. |
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Outpatient dialysis services (2)The Congress should direct the Secretary to: eliminate differences in paying for composite rate services between hospital-based and freestanding dialysis facilities; and combine the base composite rate and the add-on adjustment. |
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Payment for dialysis (A)The Congress should direct the Secretary to: * Eliminate differences in paying for composite rate services between hospital-based and freestanding dialysis facilities; and * Combine the base composite rate and the add-on adjustment. |
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Payment for dialysis (B)The Secretary should: * Eliminate differences in paying for injectable drugs between hospital-based and freestanding dialysis facilities; and * Use average sales price data to base payment for all injectable dialysis drugs that are separately billable in 2006. |
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Payment for dialysis (C)The Congress should give the Secretary the authority to periodically collect average acquisition cost data from dialysis providers and compare it with average sales price data. The Secretary should collect data on the acquisition cost and payment per unit for drugs- other than erythropoietin- that hospital-based providers furnish. |
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Outpatient dialysis servicesThe Congress should update the composite rate by the projected rate of increase in the end-stage renal disease market basket index less 0.4 percent for calendar year 2006. |
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